Tuesday, 08 December 2009

• How Much are You Spending on Your SO This Christmas?

  Tis the season to be jolly, well it is... if you have money, that is!  Now money is a popular topic. It is widely discussed and debated in numerous books, magazines, journals and other forms of media. It's discussed in various social circles and comes up in every day 'informal' discourse.  And, of course, professionals, politicians, entrepreneurs and social scientists talk about it incessantly. 

  Money is the source of conflict and misunderstandings between parents and siblings, couples, relatives, friends and business partner alike.  People have killed over money.  Marriages have ended through lack of it.  And some have married just to acquire it. 

  It's no wonder, than, that the topic has found its way into the contemporary musical world.  I mean, the O'Jays, Pink Floyd, Madonna, Rush, Dire Straits and Abba, to name but a few, have all sung about money.  
  
  Songs have been sung about all the things money can buy you.  These, according to Pink Floyd range from a: "new car, caviar, four star daydream...[even] a football team." And "if you happen to be rich, and alone and you need a companion, goes the song from Cabaret, "You can ring ting-a-ling for the maid."
  
  Ahhh and imagine what it would be like, sing Abba, if we "wouldn't have to work at all." We'd literally "fool around and have a ball", they add.  So even if "money, so they say, is the root of all evil today", as Pink Floyd and Good 'ol Marx lamented, one cannot deny that money does "makes the world go round." It sure does. 

  Then again money can't buy you everything, can it?  It can buy you sex, of course it can, because sex is just another commodity.  But, as the Beatles put it, "it can't buy you love."  Money can't buy you happiness either. It can't buy you good and genuine friendship. You can usually tell who befriends you for what they can get from you.  Can't you?  So if money can't buy you these things why do we place so much emphasis on it?
  
  Well having money certainly makes life a whole lot easier, doesn't it?  Sure.  There is no denying that.  Besides, throughout our lives we're socialized by various social agents to place a high value on money and material success in general.  So I don't think that I am wrong by saying that no one in their right mind would wish to be penniless. No one would wish to suffer, go hungry and beg for a living. We like our comfortable lifestyles and the nice things, if not luxurious items, that money can buy. We certainly wouldn't trade places with the poor, homeless and those who cannot afford decent medical care, for instance. We may give them our charity but we certainly don't want to be in their shoes.  Trading places with the poor - an interesting and noble thought - but, nahh no thanks!  Especially now with Christmas just around the corner and the accompanying ads on TV, magazines and endless fliers in our mailboxes we are reminded (or perhaps enticed) to exchange our hard earned money for gifts of all sorts to give to our near and dear ones on Christmas. Christmas has become a very good excuse to go shopping. And boy do they know it!
  
  I don't know about you, but at this time of the year we are confronted with opposing thoughts.  A part of us tells us that we should not spend as much as we did last year. We tell ourselves not to overindulge. We tell ourselves to take it easy with our credit cards and think of the less fortunate.  We tell ourselves that Christmas should not be about the material things we give and get.  It's much more than that.  Yet, how many of us actually put such thoughts into action?  Instead, we end up overspending, overeating, drinking and smoking too much and partying too hard.  And we do all these things to symbolically close the year in 'high' spirits (so to speak) in the company of close relatives, loved ones and friends. "Well why not", another part of our self rationalizes?  "Hey, we deserve it", don't we?  I mean, geeze don't be such a Scrooge, Christmas only happens once a year.  Anyhow, we have been working hard for the money all year long so we have to enjoy the 'fruit of our labour.'  Unless we're Calvinists, of course.  So despite how much we may initially loathe the idea, thats exactly what we do...or at least try to...each year.  Sad, isn't it?
  
  So with just 18 days to go and with Christmas staff parties already in full swing, I have this to ask: 

  Have we become a little bit too material?  And I'm not just talking about material girls; this applies to everybody.  Are we expecting lavish gifts from our loved one?   Are you going to spend a lot of money on your SO for Christmas  - as a 'sign" of your love for him or her?  What do you have to say?

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